What are the advantages/disadvantages of using stoker slide plates in the tender. When SR operated ex C&O 2716 stoker slides were used. But N&W 611 and 1218 were retired from the N&W with them removed and ran excursion service with them removed. One thing I could think of was not having the weight of a bunker full of coal sitting on the screw. Is there another reason?

You are correct. It comes down to less strain on the motor and drive system to turn the screw. The A&WP 290 was set up so that either 2or3 plates worth of space could be open(don't remember which).

Anybody know the status of the 290? Any chance she is going to be restored to service anytime soon?

Les

You find us a place to run her, and I'll start passing around the donation hat.

Andrew Durden
SERM

I can't imagine that the stoker would work very well without slide plates. I've never fired the 1225 and so maybe shouldn't speculate, but I expect the screw would grind the coal up pretty fine if the coal load was bearing on the full length the screw, and fines are not what you want to fire with.

PM 1225's plates were hopelessly rusted when we found the engine, so when the C&O piled up a unit coal train in East Lansing we took the opportunity to bargain with the scrapper cutting up the wreckage for enough plate steel to burn new ones out of. As I recall the originals were 2 feet long or more. Our replacements are much shorter, maybe 18 inches, and the maximum working opening is the equivalent of about two of these.